that he dined on board every
day; though, sometimes, he did not partake of our fare. On the 10th,
some of his servants brought a mess, which had been dressed for him on
shore. It consisted of fish, soup, and yams. Instead of common water to
make the soup, cocoa-nut liquor had been made use of, in which the fish
had been boiled or stewed; probably in a wooden vessel, with hot stones;
but it was carried on board in a plantain leaf. I tasted of the mess,
and found it so good, that I, afterward, had some fish dressed in the
same way. Though my cook succeeded tolerably well, he could produce
nothing equal to the dish he imitated.

Finding that we had quite exhausted the island of almost every article
of food that it afforded, I employed the 11th in moving off, from the
shore, the horses, observatories, and other things that we had landed,
as also the party of marines who had mounted guard at our station,
intending to sail, as soon as the Discovery should have recovered her
best bow anchor. Feenou, understanding that I meant to proceed directly
to Tongataboo, importuned me strongly to alter this plan, to which he
expressed as much aversion, as if he had some particular interest to
promote by diverting me from it. In preference to it, he warmly
recommended an island, or rather a group of islands, called Hepaee,
lying to the N.E. There, he assured us, we could be supplied plentifully
with every refreshment, in the easiest manner; and, to add weight to his
advice, he engaged to attend us thither in person. He carried his point
with me; and Hepaee was made choice of for our next station. As it had
never been visited by any European ships, the examination of it became
an object with me.

The 12th and the 13th were spent in attempting the recovery of Captain
Clerke's anchor, which, after much trouble, was happily accomplished;
and on the 14th, in the morning, we got under sail, and left Annamooka.

This island is somewhat higher than the other small isles that surround
it; but, still, it cannot be admitted to the rank of those of a moderate
height, such as Mangeea and Wateeoo. The shore, at that part where our
ships lay, is composed of a steep, rugged, coral rock, nine or ten feet
high, except where there are two sandy beaches, which have a reef of the
same sort of rock extending cross their entrance to the shore, and
defending them from the sea. The salt-water lake that is in the centre
of the island, is about a mile and a half